Almost crawling!

Check this out! Julien and I saw some amazing progress tonight...I'll keep you posted!!!!!

Fifteen-month check-up

We saw Dr. Dudgeon this afternoon for what should have been Addie's fifteen-month check-up. Addie still has an ear infection in both ears and a yucky runny nose so her well baby visit turned into a medical office visit. Dr. Dudgeon is wondering if Addie will have a tougher time than other children fighting ear infections and sinus infections due to the small structure of her ears and nose. We have been fighting one infection after another and we are just as frustrated as can be with it all. Since the Ciprodex doesn't seem to be working, Addie is now taking an oral antibiotic as well as an antibiotic for the thrush that she managed to acquire. :( Addie's growth this time was a bit concerning. She lost weight since her last visit and the first two times the nurse measured her height, she got the same measurement as three months ago. Dr. Dudgeon remeasured Addie and thinks she grew about 1/2 an inch, which only puts her in the 4th percentile. There are a few different possibilities for the numbers, the one that makes the most sense is it is just simply part of the Microcephaly and is nothing additional to be concerned with. The second possibility is that Addie may have something wrong with her pituitary gland. Dr. Dudgeon wants to see her back in two weeks for a re-check and possible testing. If the numbers look like there is improvement, we may be able to put off testing until July when Addie will already be sedated for her MRI. I don't want her to be put through any more than she absolutely has to be! On a positive note, Addie did have an increase in her head circumference since her last check-up!!!! Although minimal by the standard, it is growth and that's what I pray for - CONTINUED GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT!
Dr. Dudgeon was pleased with the progress Addie is making. Although slow, she is making progress! He even said she was our little miracle baby...those were golden words coming from him.

Max - renewed hope

I got a call tonight from a resident of our neighborhood who lives about a mile from our house. She is certain she saw Max tonight, but he ran before she could get him. This is the first really solid lead that we have had and it gives me renewed hope that he is still alive! For my cat loving friends out there, please say a prayer for him and us! I need to find him - one way or the other.

Boo-boo - Julien

Julien and Jarrett were playing catch at the ballpark tonight and apparently Jarrett must have thrown the ball pretty hard because when it made contact with Julien's shin, the ball left thread marks on his leg! OUCH!

Boo-boo - Addie

I got a call this afternoon that Addie had a boo-boo and her lip was bleeding. The director went on to tell me that Addie's teacher was rocking her and she was eating a green popsicle to make the boo-boo all better!

Incorrect information

The May edition of The Birmingham Parent Magazine will be released tomorrow. I sent Chris to pick up a few copies for us today and we discovered that the finalists' pictures for the photo contest were not published. The ladies were very nice and told Chris that the photos wouldn't be in the magazine, only on-line. I am sure the lady the day of the photo shoot was just mistaken. So, for all of you who have been waiting for the May edition, now you know why the pictures aren't in there!

The ONLY reason this bothers me is because I was really hoping to have something to put up for Addie, so that I could show her years from now that she made the finals in a photo contest. I will just print the information from the website, I bet she will be so happy to see it when she's older!

Good-bye to Ali

Addie's friend, Ali will be leaving on Friday. Her family is moving to Texas. I remember so vividly the first day that I met Ali; it wasn't long after Addie started school. I went to drop Addie off at school and Ali's parents were there for her first day. Ali's Dad was holding the camera and Ali's Mom was trying her best to regain her composure! It just broke my heart! I knew the pain that she felt and wanted to just give her a big hug! I walked out of the room and told Chris that I wished I could make her feel better and contemplated going back in. I can't believe that was over a year ago! Addie and Ali have done so well together and are great friends! If you remember, Ali is the one that Addie took the ball from last year when I deemed her as a bully!
http://babyhenderson.blogspot.com/2007/09/addie-and-allie.html

Ali's parents were nice enough to give Addie this gift, she just loves it and tries so hard to hold on! Julien was right by her, showing her how everything works.

Thank you so much! You guys will be missed and I wish you the best of luck! May God bless you!

TMI, but a must share!

Addie has found her nose AND she thinks it's funny! :)

WOW!

I couldn't believe what I heard! We were in Publix today and Chris turned to walk the opposite way we were going, so I told Addie to tell DaDa "bye-bye". Without hesitation, she said, "bye-bye DaDa". Of course Chris and Julien were out of ear shot and missed it!!! She has been babbling up a storm today and obviously has a lot to say to make up for these last two weeks!

Thank God for this amazing gift!

Beautiful baby girl

Julien finally got Addie to smile... Check out Addie's new bow - cute and perfect!

Leonardo's

Addie had her first trip to Leonardo's tonight! It is a favorite of ours and we've been waiting until Addie was a little older and could enjoy it before we took her. We decided to stop by on the way home from our photo shoot. Julien and Addie enjoyed the atmosphere and the piano music. In between Miss Nosey Britches hamming it up for all the passer-bys, she stuffed herself on anything I could put in her mouth! I am so glad I have a baby that enjoys fine dining! :)

Poor Kim...and Chris

Addie had her fifteen-month pictures today at The Botanical Gardens. I know there will be a few really good pictures only because Kim is so talented, but otherwise the session was miserable! Addie was so fussy because she just doesn't feel well and getting her to smile for the camera was WORK! We all know what a little ham she usually is! On top of that, Julien was exhausted from his game and wasn't in the best mood either. I'm still not feeling up to par, so Kim and Chris had to listen and deal with a lot of whining and misery...on top of the heat. I was so embarrassed by the time we left. I guess we all have our moments, but did it really have to be in front of the sweetest and most talented photographer in the world???

I already have Addie's eighteen-month session booked with Kim and I am booking her twenty-one month session and her two-year session tomorrow. Kim is booking up FAST, so make sure you contact her soon for an appointment!

http://sharitphotos.blogspot.com/

Is that a ruby?

How many carats is that thing anyway? Addie got her first ring today. Thanks to Daddy for supplying the funds, cousin Gabi for buying the goods and Aunt Rhonda for photographing this rare find!

12-10 and the best one yet!

We had an awesome game this morning! The team started out nine down, but managed to come back and win the game! Julien made a great throw from third to get the batter out on first and managed to be the tiebreaker run in, which set the tone for the rest of the game. There is one little boy who got his first hit of the season, the whole team managed to catch the ball like pro's - even a pop fly - AND we even got to see the teams first triple play! Now that's the way to play baseball!

Unbelievable - errr!

These last two weeks have been just miserable for us all. Not only does Addie have an ear infection in her left ear, but she woke up this morning with her right ear draining as well. April has been a terrible month for our health; May has got to be better!

Shelby County Art Show

Ta-Da!
Here is the famous picture that won Julien a spot in the Art Show. Each elementary, intermediate, middle and high school in Shelby County was represented in this show tonight. I talked with Julien's art teacher and she is so pleased with his skill and creativity.
Way to go Julien!

Ramblings of a half insane mind.

I'm off work this week and feel good about the progress I'm making on the "catch-up game" that I seem to be playing lately.
On my way home from taking Addie to school, I was pointlessly flipping from one radio station to the next, finding nothing but yapping when I decided it was a good time to talk to God. I have two different families that have asked for special prayers this week and I wanted to make sure I was focusing on their requests as much as possible.
There is one small stretch of highway that takes me past this beautiful house and land that I tell Chris all the time that I want. You know, the picture perfect house with the four-car garage, picket fence and horses (not that I know the first thing about horses, but they are beautiful to look at). The trees have bloomed just so and have cast the most serene shadows onto the road and I don't think the sky could be any bluer. At that moment it occurred to me just how lucky I am. I have it all. I have a house that we can afford (although not perfect for us and seems to be content with not selling), two beautiful children, a husband who takes care of everything when I'm not feeling well, a beautiful little city to live in, great friends and family, our health, a great job, a car that starts every time I need it to and a perfect God that has granted me peace. I felt a peace that I haven't felt in so long that I can't remember the last time. I realized that I'm OK, I'm OK with the way my life is and where it is heading. This time last year, I was so grief stricken that it was hard to see anything past my job as Addie's Mother. There are always days when the grief comes back, but for the most part, I think I'm finding my way. There are some days, I keep waiting for that curve ball to come flying in and for my world to come crashing back down again and then there are days, like today, where I can see past today and know how blessed I am. I am blessed not only to have an amazing son who is so intelligent and good hearted, not to mention that he has the most amazing green eyes (from me, of course) and the cutest little sprinkling of freckles across his nose, but I also have Addie. I wouldn't be the same without her. I want each and every one of you to watch closely. God has an amazing plan for her and I wait eagerly every day for that plan to be revealed. I picture her being the ONE that proves "them" all wrong, the ONE who can walk into school and sit with every other typical child, the ONE who shows the world how God works. How GOD continues to work miracles in a time when we wonder what the future holds for our children. I know Addie was sent here - to me - for a very special purpose and we'll know why...when God is ready to show us.
Today is a day of peace and I am so thankful for it!

Another thought

I was feeding Addie at the ballpark last night and had just given her a bite when I asked her if it was "good", her response: "Mmm". She is trying her best to communicate! She is the sweetest angel!

An official "DaDa"!

We finally heard Addie make the connection! Addie was in her highchair eating and I asked Chris to come sit with her for a second. As he approached her, she looked at him and said the magic words, "DaDa"! To say he is thrilled is an understatement!

I can't tell you how many times a night I wake up to ramblings in my mind, thoughts or phrases that have been said to me. "She will never walk, she will never talk, her delays will be severe"...it is never-ending. Addie is saying "DaDa", "MaMa", "bye" and "baby"...I just want to shout to the world and tell them what she is doing! She IS talking and continues to learn new words! Please thank God for this accomplishment and continue to pray for new development!

Seriously, can we not catch a break?

Addie woke up with her left ear draining and a fever this morning! That explains the incredibly rough weekend we had. A few days of Ciprodex and we should be back in business!

Beautiful evening at the ballpark

Errr! Although the evening was beautiful, we lost the game tonight. Our boys just couldn't manage to catch the ball for nothing!
As always, Addie enjoyed watching Julien, she is such a great little cheerleader!

Shoes, shoes, shoes!

I meant to get a picture of Addie's new shoes before they got dirty, but that just didn't happen. After my extensive search, I finally found the perfect shoe! These shoes are manufactured under a few different brand names. I tried this style shoe a few times and couldn't make it work. Cobblestone has a brand that is higher on the ankle with more durable elastic and they are great! They also have a purple pair with a cat-cat that I plan on going back to get...for now we are "making do" with the pink butterfly!

No cute pictures

Another beautiful day has passed without cute pictures of sweet Addie. Addie kept us up almost all night and definitely isn't herself! I guess we are both not feeling well because we slept most of the day today.

While I was sleeping I got a new ceiling fan in the living room, lots of clean laundry and dinner....hmmm, shouldn't I try that more often? :)

Still no sign of Max...

Poor Max

I know many of you are not cat lovers, but for those of you who are...
Monday night Addie and I were not feeling very well, so we had family over helping us out. In the chaos of it all, MY kitty Max got outside. He is the sweetest cat and was a stray that I rescued seven years ago. We have flyers up in the neighborhood and are hoping for his safe return. Please wish us luck! I told Chris that the not knowing is driving me crazy. I need to find him one way or the other...

Great job Julien!

I received a letter yesterday stating that one of Julien's pictures will be on display at the art show at Oak Mountain Elementary! I am so proud of him...it's one of the many talents that he didn't get from me!

Boo boo

Addie and Julien were playing when Julien accidentally hit Addie's fingers with a ball. She only cried for a second, but Julien insisted on getting her boo boo lamb out to make it all better! Note the ever-present Christmas PJ's. :) I have to say, they appear to be oh so comfortable. I promise, she has like ten pair of pajamas, but it seems like she is wearing these every time a Kodak moment presents itself!

Better

It has been tough, but I think we are all doing better. Addie has remained fever free since Sunday...woo-hoo! Thank you for all of your phone calls and emails!

Go Slammers!

Slammers won again tonight 11-6!
They are now in second place - great job!!!

Please

Please keep our family in your prayers today.

Thomas won! :(

Thomas is our gentle kitty. There is a "rule" in our house that when ice chips fall from the icemaker, Thomas is allowed to clean them up. It just so happened this time Addie was on the floor playing when Chris got some ice and a few pieces fell to the floor. When Thomas heard the icemaker, he came running. Addie was one step ahead of him and was trying her best to pick up the ice chip with her little fingers. The ice kept slipping away from her and then Thomas showed up and kept nudging her out of the way. The battle continued until Thomas just stole the ice away! I can't blame him, it was rightfully his! Addie gave him lots of "loving" though and he just sat and took the "abuse"!

Still not over with

Addie had a rough night last night and woke up with a fever this morning. I called Dr. Dudgeon and he called in a prescription for Omnicef. Hopefully this will do the trick, but without the fungus this time!

GO SLAMMERS!

The Slammers won 8-6 today and beat the team who WAS undefeated! It felt great to see them do so well and work together as a team!

Julien wasn't up to having his picture made today (nine-year old boy, I guess), so I had to steal what I could get!

After almost three hours at the park, Addie was wiped out!

Redemption!

11-6

The Slammers made a come back tonight! Great job guys!

"Fungus" baby

As our luck would have it, Addie developed a rash today. She apparently had an allergic reaction to the Augmentin. When I went to check on her at school today, I walked in and told her she was looking for reasons to have me come and visit with her at school...she even giggled when I called her my "little fungus baby". :)

Masters Tournament, Augusta, Georgia

Nate, Rick, Bill and Chris had the pleasure of attending the Masters Tournament in Augusta. They had a great time, but who wouldn't have?

Better night

Addie did much better this evening. She was relaxed and happy at dinner and has her usual appetite back! After dinner, she had a great time playing at the park with Julien. I hate to put it in writing, but I think we may have finally beat the "fever virus" (such a made up diagnosis!), ear infection and lower respiratory infection. This time was VERY nerve racking! I should be posting lots of happy pictures soon!

A split second!

Therapy was very slow going today. Addie was very sensitive and wasn't very cooperative. At the end of the session, Heather worked with Addie for a few minutes on walking. After we heard all the fussing we could take, I had Addie stand against me to show Heather how well she is doing with her balance. I gradually moved away from Addie until she was STANDING ALL BY HERSELF! It was just for a second, but SHE DID IT!

An emerging "DaDa"????

I have put off writing about this, because we almost can't believe it. Addie definitely is making a "D" sound, although not to anyone or anything specific. I will keep you updated!

Man of the house!

Chris is away until tomorrow, so Julien took charge this afternoon. I was so exhausted today and decided to stop by Subway on the way home. As soon as we got home, Addie and I went to change clothes. Julien washed up, set the table, got our drinks - including Addie's sippy cup - put everything out on the table, got Addie's bib and was waiting on us for dinner. Not only did Julien get up from the table to get me more water, but he also asked if there was anything else we needed before he excused himself to take a shower. I'm not exactly sure what happened at school today, but I'm calling his teacher tomorrow. I need an exact duplication of today from now on!
Thanks so much Julien! I love you!

Not much better

Addie wasn't much better today. She was so sad when I took her to school this morning, so I stayed with her, fed her breakfast and calmed her down. When I picked her up this afternoon, her teacher was rocking her, she had been crying because her teacher had left the room for a few minutes. It was so disheartening to see her so unhappy. I want my sweet, happy Addie back. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.

Frustrated!

Addie isn't feeling very well today. We are frustrated because we can't fix what's wrong and we are so worried! I keep praying that tomorrow will be a better day. Normally, Addie is attached to cat-cat or baby, but she felt so bad today that she had to have both!

1-2 Not a good record so far

Not sure what's going on with our "Slammers", but we lost again today 11-7. We are making careless mistakes and I know the team will come together and turn this season around! We played against Max's team today - great job guys!

Moo!

I stood Addie up at the cow just to see what she would do and check this out! She stood holding onto the cow for about a minute (yes, without her braces on Heather...) and did so good! After about a minute, she wanted to sit but didn't know what to do. I stood by and let her decide...she plopped right down on her big diapered bottom and couldn't decide if she was going to cry or not. Keep in mind, she doesn't pull up and doesn't usually stand, so she doesn't understand the concept of falling. I immediately started clapping and told her what a great job she did! She clapped too and leaned forward, which I took to meant she wanted to do it again...and she did! This is the rocking cow that Julien got for his first birthday from me. Addie seems to enjoy it too!

(To save a few emails from friends...I AM fully aware this is April and my daughter is wearing Christmas pajamas. By golly, I paid enough for them and she is going to wear them until they no longer fit!)

My miracle baby

I have made some amazing friends over the last fifteen-months. They are people that I never would have met had it not been for Addie. I have several dear friends who are medical professionals in one capacity or another. I asked one of them the other day if they had seen any other children with Microcephaly and this was the response:

"We do see children with Microcephaly. It's hard to realize how blessed you really are that Addie is doing so well; it's something you can't understand until you see the child she could have been. In fact, most children with Microcephaly are so profoundly disabled, I'm not sure if they are even aware of their surroundings. They are not able to interact with family, they don't play, they don't smile, they don't speak, they have severe physical limitations, and they don't meet their developmental milestones. Basically, most children with Microcephaly are like having a newborn baby for their entire lives whose body grows but their mentality and physical ability never develops past a few weeks of age. I think this is one of the reasons we were so drawn to Addie, she is truly beating the odds, and she is truly a miracle baby. I've said many times, God has a special plan for Addie, and He will continue to reveal more and more of it everyday."

This is why I say that Addie truly is a miracle! Although, I try to describe our fears and our pain, it is hard to really let people know the prognosis Addie was given and the uncertain future that lies ahead.

The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him.
Exodus 15:2

Let the voting begin!

I will have to say, there is defnitely some competition in Addie's category! The other kids look GREAT!

Here is how the voting process will work:

Go to http://www.birminghamparent.com/forms/2008_CoverKidsPhotos.pdf

To Submit your vote –
Send an email with VOTE in the subject line to: bhamparent@yahoo.com . Include your name, address, phone number, and name of child for each category that you would like to vote for.

*Multiple entries from the same email and/or person will be disqualified*

Deadline to vote is May 31, 2008!

**For all my out-of-towners...vote, vote, vote! You don't have to live in Alabama to participate!**

Just pitiful!

Addie tried her best to smile for the camera. She just feels so miserable.

Last of the bunny pictures!

We finally got our pictures from Kim yesterday. Thanks Kim for your GREAT work! Here is the link to Kim's website for those of you who don't know and are interested: http://sharitphotos.blogspot.com/